Reuters, SYDNEYStrong winds stoked more than 100 fires across Australia’s east coast yesterday, blanketing Sydney in hazardous smoke and prompting health warnings for the country’s most populous city. Australia is prone to bushfires in its dry, hot summers, but fierce blazes have been sparked early, in the southern spring, by a long drought and soaring temperatures. Wildfires have so far this month claimed at least four lives, burned about 1 million hectares of farmland and bush, and destroyed more than 300 homes. Powerful winds fanned about 130 fires that have been burning across New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland states for several days, and pushed smoke south to form a thick haze over Sydney, home to about 5 million people. The bushfire crisis has mostly been contained to the east coast of NSW and Queensland states, but officials in South Australia yesterday warned that forecast near-record temperatures raises the risks in that state.

Source: Taipei Times November 19, 2019 15:56 UTC